A Thanksgiving Prayer

A Thanksgiving Prayer

Dear God, You are so good to us and to me specifically. You are faithful and You have blessed me beyond measure. There are everyday blessings to which I have become accustomed, but I do not want to take them for granted: clean drinking water, electricity, fireplaces, more than enough food in my home, hot water, a beautiful home, and a comfortable, warm bed to sleep in.

Thank you especially for a new knee this year! It is making it so much easier to do the things I love & hands that help me to do so  many things. Thank you that even with the health challenges my family and our staff have faced and still face this year, you have been faithful and we are moving forward with hope.

Thank you for letting me listen to peoples hearts for my career.  Thank you for giving me a heart and courage for this work, and the ability to really ‘see’ them and stand with them in their pain and and all the precious souls I love.

Thank you for my family, my friends, and my neighbors.  Thank you for freedom to attend church and for my small group and my relationships.

Thank you for the things You are doing in my heart and in my life. I’m grateful that I am much different today than I was 5 years ago, or a year ago, or even a month ago; I am even different that I was at the beginning of this month, and it’s because of Your power at work in me, continually changing  me into Your image.

I am indeed so very grateful. Amen and Amen. Happy Thanksgiving and many blessings prayed for you today as well.  Blessings, Susie 💛🍁🍁💛

Anger Management Course Delayed One Week

We want to be sensitive in light of the approach of Hurricane Florence to the things that you need to do to prepare and get ready for whatever we might be facing. In light of that, we are reaching out to let you know that we are delayingthe start date of our Anger Management course to Wednesday September 19th at 5:15 p.m. Weekly sessions will be over at 6:30 p.m.

You can be assured that we will make sure you have completed the course by the dates you need to be finished.

Please know that you’re in our prayers for God’s protection during this uncertain weather week, Susie💦☔️💧

Happy Labor Day 2018

Good morning and Happy Labor Day! Reaching out to let you know that the Journey to Hope office is closed today for Labor Day, but the good news is that I am in the office again this week and getting closer and closer to a regular counseling schedule. I cannot thank you enough for your faithful prayers as I have recovered from surgery. It is my hope to see you really soon. Praying for you and hope you are having a wonderful last weekend of summer. Blessings, Susie🏝

Praying for rest from your labors and struggles today.

Weakness Is a Gift?

How perfect is this post from 2014 for my one month post surgery date. I haven’t felt this level of physical weakness in a very long time, but God has used it and I am getting stronger every day; so very thankful for the lessons learned in this 30 day journey. God is able and He is faithful. Always. 🌻 Blessings, Susie

2014 Post:

1) I am thankful for my struggles. I am trusting God to make them beautiful and to help me be stronger in spite of them.

2) I am thankful for my brokenness; I am trusting God to give me the courage to continue to be strong, even in the broken places.

3) I am thankful for my weakness; let it cause me to rely more on Him to show His grace in my life.

Thankful today.

courage has definitely been needed these past 30 days.

Yes, weakness makes me stronger. A gift, indeed. 

Scars as Living Proof

Today, I return to work with a new scar. Right across the middle of my right knee. It is a reminder that just three weeks ago, something really big, invasive and painful happened there.  It is my prayer that the scar will dimimish over time, but it will not disappear. It will always serve as a reminder of this knee surgery. It is such a good visual for our lives that I wanted to write about it today, on this day I return to work.  

Things happen in life that hurt us. Sometimes, it is someone else that causes the hurt. Sometimes we make a choice that ends up hurting us. Sometimes we get in the path of someone else’s storm, and we are hurt. We have physical, emotional and spiritual scars from these hurts and the healing process is hard, painful and requires massive amounts of work and determination on our part to get better. And yet, while the scar might remain visible, it is most often that the healing creates something even stronger in us as a result of the hurt and the scar and the journey to healing.

I have not really loved physical therapy these last 3 weeks, and it will continue for many more weeks. It is painful to get my knee to move again, and yet, every day, I see progress and movement. Last Thursday, I drove my Jeep for the first time in our neighborhood and Friday, I drove Kenzie to the pool! Progress and small victories from a knee that wouldn’t even bend 3 weeks ago.

So, I say to you, hang in there! Do the work that is your part to get better and heal from your hurts, and let God handle the heavy lifting of your healing. He is able! And then tell your story of what God can do, especially and always when hurt comes your way. And it will.  Claim Jeremiah 30:17  where God promises “ I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal, declares the Lord.” Or prob

verbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away  from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones. – Proverbs 3:5-8 NLT

Hope is alive in me today. I pray for it to be alive in you as well. Blessings, Susie💛

Note: Journey to Hope reopens today, Monday August  27th and we will be in the office until 5 p.m. Please pray for my first day back.

We are open every day this week from 11-5,and on a Friday from 10-noon. God is so good to bring healing. We are rejoicing.

Because He does. He is our healer

Drove Kenzie to the pool last Friday. And yes, this photo was taken AFTER we arrived and we took her out of her car seat! CELEBRATING!